The general colour of the coat, composed of brittle hairs, is a slightly
grizzled sandy brown. As the name suggests, on the chest is a wide
vertical whitish-yellow stripe which extends up the throat to the chin.
The ears are tipped with yellow or orange hairs. On the nape
of the neck are several horizontal blotches of yellowish hairs. The
body slopes forward, as the hind legs are almost one third longer than the
forelegs, causing the height at the rump to be almost 10 cm / 4 inches above
the shoulder. The ears are large and rounded, generally lined with
whitish fur. Both sexes have well-developed upper canines, and in males
these grow 7-10 cm / 3-4 inches long and protrude from the mouth in a fang-like
manner. The canines are constantly growing, but, due to their mobility
and fragility, they are easily broken. There are no antlers in this,
as well as other musk deer, species.

Breeding occurs primarily in November-December, with the resulting being
born from May to June. After birth, the young deer lie hidden in secluded
areas, essentially independent of their mothers except at feeding times.
This hiding period may last up to 2 months.

Ecology and Behavior

Himalayan musk deer are most active between dusk and dawn, alternately resting
and feeding throughout this period. At night, musk deer can be seen
in the open areas of their habitat as they graze, while during the day, they
remain in dense cover. Neighbouring individuals may utilize common
latrines, an activity with becomes more frequent during the mating season.
Himalayan musk deer are sedentary, remaining wthin a defined home range
throughout the year. In females these are about 125 acres in size,
while male musk deer will control a territory which encompasses the
ranges of several females, defending it against intrusion by rival males.
The Himalayan musk deer does not undertake any seasonal migrations,
remaining in the same area year-round despite harsh weather conditions. A
shy animal, the musk deer depends on its sense of hearing to locate sources
of danger. When frightened, they make broad leaps, each measuring up
to 6 meters / 19 feet in length. Drastic changes in direction are made
during flight, and every few jumps the animal will stop and listen.
Communication between individuals is thought to be based primarily
on their sense of smell, due to the high development of the glands of musk
deer. Primarily silent, musk deer will emit a loud double hiss if alarmed,
and may scream plaintively if wounded. Population densities are about
3-4 animals per square kilometer.

Alpine forest and scrub at elevations of 2,200-4,300 meters / 7250-14,200
feet on the eastern and southern edge of Tibet and the southern slopes of
the Himalayas.

Range Map (Redrawn from Whitehead, 1993)

Conservation Status

As a species, the Himalayan musk deer is classified as low risk, near threatened
by the IUCN (1996). M. c. chrysogaster and M. c.
leucogaster are both classified as low risk, near threatened subspecies.

Remarks

The specific name sifanicus is sometimes used in place of
chrysogaster. The most primitive of the cervids, musk deer have
sometimes been placed in their own family, as their morphology is half-way
between chevrotains and the true deer. The musk produced by this genus
of primitive deer is highly held for its cosmetic and alleged pharmaceutical
properties, and can fetch U.S. $45,000 per kilogram (2.2 pounds) on the
international market. Although this musk, produced in a gland of the
males, can be extracted from live animals, most "musk-gatherers" kill the
animals to remove the entire sac, which yields only about 25 grams (1/40
of a kilogram) of the brown waxy substance. Moskhos (Greek)
musk, also moschus (New Latin) musk. Khrusos (Greek)
gold; gaster (Greek) the belly.